06/04/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/04/2025 17:40
Washington D.C.- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both D-Ore. said today they have joined Senator Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in requesting important information about the impact of House Republicans' budget bill's dangerous proposed cuts to federal spending on health programs, rural hospitals and their surrounding communities.
"In short, the House-passed budget reconciliation bill is expected to have substantial and devastating impacts to health care access for working families across America, particularly in rural communities. " the lawmakers wrote to Mark Holmes, PhD, Director of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "We are deeply concerned that these cuts will increase uncompensated care and make it more difficult for rural hospitals to continue providing services to all patients, paying workers, and keeping their doors open."
"The magnitude of federal cuts to health programs will inevitably devastate health access for millions of Americans who will see their local hospitals forced to reduce services or close altogether," they wrote. "To help us better understand the devastation of these cuts, we are interested in the Sheps Center's expert analysis of how this bill will impact rural hospitals and the communities they serve."
The lawmakers request responses to the following questions by June 11, 2025:
The full text of the letter is here.
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